Tuesday, January 31, 2017

As promised, President Donald Trump chose a conservative like the late Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court of the United States. Neil Gorsuch of Colorado was announced a few moments ago by President Trump. Gorsuch was a classmate of President Obama in 1991 and is against euthanasia and obamacare. He is also very strong on religious liberty. He has not ruled on abortion cases yet, but Trump had vowed to nominate a candidate who is pro-life just like Scalia was.

In his book, The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, Justice Gorsuch wrote, “Human life is fundamentally and inherently valuable, and that the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong. “Human life is fundamentally and inherently valuable, and that the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.” He also sided with the state of Utah in regards to defunding Planned Parenthood. Gorsuch has shown a distaste to Judicial Activism and believes strongly in the exact interpretation of the Constitution as it is without inference.

Andrew Cuomo is really an abortion fanatic. The guy just does not quit trying to push abortion, contraception and the gay agenda on New Yorkers. He participated in a Planned Parenthood event where he announced that he wants an amendment to New York's State Constitution. This amendment will make abortion permanently legal in New York State. The amendment is meant to be a defense against any laws or court decisions that may overturn Roe v. Wade while President Trump is in office.

However, republicans who control the Senate in Albany are saying "not so fast." They are vowing to fight the proposal and want the people of New York to vote on the matter.

Too bad Cardinal Dolan does not publicly rebuke Cuomo by ordering priests not to give him Holy Communion. This would send a strong message to all Catholics and those who are pro-life. Please protest Cuomo's idea by writing to senators in New York State. Voice your concerns that New York State will not be adhering to the values of America: life, liberty and pursuit of happiness if it endorses abortion in its Constitution.

Andrew Cuomo is a very disturbed individual who lacks morals. He ignores the growing homeless population in New York and failing schools, yet has time and energy for the lgbt agenda, promoting abortion and illegal immigration. He is not fit to serve as governor. He needs to be voted out in the next election.

Religions throughout the world teach that the universe is a creation from a higher power. Science acknowledges that the universe is in fact a creation that began at the "big bang." However, there is no consensus on what or who triggered this event. Philosophers have always asked questions on origin, however, some have gone as far as hypothesizing that the universe is a hologram or simulation. I wrote about this when the idea was still in its infancy here: http://www.sacerdotus.com/2013/02/the-universe-is-program-uh-oh-there.html.

The idea is very popular in philosophy and physics courses. It is now being use din religious apologetics to show evidence that the universe has a creator. A new study is shedding more light on the idea. The study entitled, "From Planck Data to Planck Era: Observational Tests of Holographic Cosmology," builds upon the theory which was developed in the 90's that says that the three-dimensional reality we experience really comes from a two-dimensional form which resides at the edge of the universe. Dr Kostas Skenderis, a mathematical science professor at the University of Southampton said, "The idea is similar to that of ordinary holograms where a three-dimensional image is encoded in a two-dimensional surface, such as in the hologram on a credit card. However, this time, the entire universe is encoded!"

Other physicists such as Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson are starting to accept the idea. Tyson stated during a conference last year that “the likelihood may be very high” that we are living in a hologram or simulation. If the idea can be proven with hard evidence, this will put an end to atheism. Atheists will not longer be able to claim that there is no creator because a hologram or simulation needs a creator or programmer.

President Donald Trump has just done an action which put him on the national spotlight in regards to fame. He "fired" the acting Attorney General Sally Yates. After Trump signed the executive order which mandated the extreme vetting of individuals from countries the Obama administrated listed as harboring terrorists, Yates refused to defend the order. Sally Yates was a left over appointment from the Obama era. Naturally, she thinks like Obama and has disregard for the law as was the case with previous attorney generals under Obama who refused to follow the law.

Trump's White House called Yates' action a "betrayal" and immediately sought to remove her. The decision is being applauded by those who voted for Trump and those generally on the right of the political spectrum. Attorney generals are supposed to uphold and defend the law, not cherry pick which ones to uphold and defend. Trump's action, I believe, was a good one. We cannot have attorneys working for the people who will only defend laws that agree with their bias. This is a dangerous precedent.

Bishop Manuel was interviewed by CBS News today. His lips looked a bit swollen with a shiny substance, possibly Vicks rubbing ointment, and he has stitches. He said he is in a lot of pain and believes that the man who attacked him, Charles Miller is mentally ill.

However, he also said something that touched my heart and I think will touch yours. The bishop recalled how the altar boy (pictured here) who was assisting him held him in his arms with such concern and was protecting him. The altar boy, probably thinking the worse (bishop dying), told the bishop, "Don't go father, I'm here" as he cradled the bishop. The image is just touching. I posted a screen capture of it below.

This young man truly has Jesus in him. I hope the Lord calls him to the priesthood. We need great souls like this kid. I wish I knew his name and contact to send him a Rosary or set up a gofundme to help him with his studies (college or seminary). I felt compelled to highlight this hero on my blog as a thank you for being there for a bishop and to hopefully inspire other altar servers out there.

One of my first assignments in the Church was master of ceremonies for a bishop. I was his assistant and went with him everywhere also like a secret service agent. So as you can imagine, the news of the attack on Bishop Cruz made me cringe.

If you are from the Newark Archdiocese or a friend/relative and know who this altar boy is, please contact me. Please pray for this beautiful soul.

The gaming world lost one of the fathers of video gaming. Masaya Nakamura passed away at the age of 91 on January 22. He founded the game company Namco which is known for arcade hits such as Pac-Man, Galaga and others. Pac-Man was featured in the 2015 nerd hit movie, Pixels and was created by professor Toru Iwantani.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Today's readings deal with humility. Humility is necessary in the Christian life. Before I start the reflection, I want to ask you all to please keep His Excellency Bishop Manuel A. Cruz of Newark, New Jersey in your prayers. He was attacked yesterday during a Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral. For more info see: http://www.sacerdotus.com/2017/01/bishop-attacked-during-mass-in-nj.html.

The first reading reminds us that God is with the humble. He is with those who observed His law, sought justice and trusted God. We must be like this so that we may be true children of God (1 John 3:10). No deceitful tongue should be present in our bodies. We must tell the truth and never gossip or slander others (Ephesians 4:29). We must be poor in spirit or humble, as the responsorial Psalm tells us. God is just and keeps faith forever (1 Corinthians 1:9). He feeds the hungry, helps those who are captive. The Lord heals those who are sick, who are blind, humiliated. He loves those who are just and those who protect strangers. God cares for all. He is our father. Because God is our father, we have to be humble and follow His will. Father knows best, if you will. The second reading reminds us that we are brothers and sisters. We all come in a variety of ways. St. Paul reminds us that God does not choose the smartest, powerful, richest people to do great things. He chooses the humble, those who are thought of as ignorant or uneducated in the world; who are despised and treated as pariahs.

With these, God shames those who are powerful, rich, intelligent etc. So if you reading this think you are not outspoken enough, powerful, wealthy enough or smart enough to evangelize, do not despair. God will do great things with you that will shame those who have power or think themselves as smart etc. God uses the lowly to show that the powerful are not powerful at all. This brings us to the Gospel where we are taught the Beatitudes. Jesus tells us that we are blessed if we have certain behaviors and attitudes in life. If we are poor in spirit, we will receive the kingdom of heaven. If we mourn, we will be comforted. If we are meek and hunger for justice, we will inherit the land and will be satisfied. Those of us who show mercy to others will have mercy reflected back to us. If we are clean of heart, we will see God who is pure. If we seek peace instead of war, we will be called the children of God. Those of us who are persecuted for God's sake will receive God's kingdom. This includes those who are insulted, harassed, abused all for the sake of Christ.

These beatitudes are sometimes referred to as the "BE-attitudes," or attitudes that should be reflected in our being. Being Catholic is not just going to Mass on Sundays, praying a Rosary or Litany here and there and that is it. There is much more to being Catholic. On Friday, we had the March For Life. Hundreds of thousands marched in the name of protecting life from conception to natural death. This march is an act of seeking justice, justice for the unborn and all human life. However, marching is not the only way we live out the beatitudes. Being kind to others and helpful goes a long way. Overall, humility is what God seeks in us. We must be humble in order to be closer to God. The word humility or being humble comes from the word "humus" which means dirt, lower ground or soil (http://etymonline.com/index.php?term=humble&allowed_in_frame=0). This should remind us of Ash Wednesday when we receive the ashes and are reminded that we are dust and to dust we shall return (Genesis 3:19). Man is nothing but dust, the breath of God; a mere thought (Psalm 8:4-8). Humility is the key to the many graces God gives. St. Josemaría Escrivá stated, "Humility is so necessary for salvation that Jesus takes every opportunity to stress its importance. Here he uses the attitudes of people at a banquet to remind us again that it is God who assigns the places at the heavenly banquet. Together with humility, the realization of the greatness of man's dignity—and of the overwhelming fact that, by grace, we are made children of God—forms a single attitude. It is not our own efforts that save us and give us life; it is the grace of God. This is a truth which must never be forgotten." (Christ Is Passing By, 133) Let us be more humble and trust in God. Let us be more caring towards others. May Jesus Christ be praised, now and forever!

Please be generous and help me expand this ministry. Donate on my Paypal or gofundme page: www.gofundme.com/sacerdotus. God will reward you. Donating is a form of humility. You show that you are not attached to wealth.

Here are some reflections on holy writers:

The Lord went up the mountain that he might bring the crowds with him to higher things. The crowds were unable to go up, however, and he was followed by the disciples to whom he spoke, not standing but sitting together. For they were unable to understand this brilliant man in his majesty.— St. Jerome(347 - 420)

When Luke mentions these blessed ones, he calls them simply those "who hunger." But Matthew here defines them as those who willingly and from a longing for the good abstain from fleshly pleasures. Both of them speak in a similar way. Whoever longs for the righteousness of God has found what is truly desirable.But the yearning for righteousness is not satisfied by analogy to the appetite alone. For brotherhood in justice is desired not merely as food. That is only half the total picture.But now he has also represented this yearning as analogous to thirst for something to drink. By the passion of thirst he intends to indicate the heat and burning of intense longing. He says that such a person "will be filled." But such fulfillment does not produce a turning away but rather an intensification of the desire.— St. Apollinaris(310 - 392)

Hear what follows: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Do this, and it will be done to you. Do it in regard to another that it might be done in regard to you. For you may overflow yet remain in need. You may overflow with temporal things but remain in need of eternal life. You hear the voice of a beggar, but before God you are yourself a beggar.Someone is begging from you, while you yourself are begging. As you treat your beggar, so will God treat his. You who are empty are being filled. Out of your fullness fill an empty person in need, so that your own emptiness may be again filled by the fullness of God.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

After President Trump signed an executive order enforcing extreme vetting of people from nations the Obama administration identified as harboring terrorists, protests have broken out. About 109 of a hundred thousand were detailed in airports around the United States due to the new vetting process. They were interrogated, papers verified and later released. The amount of time they were detained is said to have been three hours.

Many took to the airports, Battery Park in Manhattan and Copley Square in Boston to protect the executive order calling it hateful. They claim that the executive order is a ban on Muslims despite the order not stating this. The claim comes from Trump's words during the election season where he called for a ban on all Muslims until "we can figure out what the hell is going on." However, this executive order is not a ban of any sort. It is simply an extreme vetting order. The president has an obligation to protect the nation under the Constitution, Immigration Act of 1952 and 8 U.S. Code § 1182 - Inadmissible aliens.

It seems that those who are still angry at Clinton's loss are still trying to grind their ax. Some in the Catholic Church are attacking President Trump over this despite the Catholic Church teaching that leaders have a right to protect their nations.

Also, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People: People on the Move - N° 88-89, April - December 2002 Migration and the Social Doctrine of the Church says:

b. Is the right to emigration absolute? Can it ever be limited?The SDC also recognizes the right of states to control entry of persons and their borders. They have a right and duty to protect their sovereignty as well as the internal order that guarantees security, basic human rights and freedoms. Thus states can make practical decisions that control immigration.[4] It is, however important to remember the principle that immigrants must always be treated with the respect due to the dignity of every human person. In the matter of controlling the influx of immigrants, the consideration which should rightly be given to the common good should not ignore this principle. The challenge is to combine the welcome due to every human being, especially when in need, with a reckoning of what is necessary for both the local inhabitants and the new arrivals to live a dignified and peaceful life.[5]

A Cuban Catholic Bishop from the Archdiocese of Newark, Bishop Manuel A. Cruz was attacked while celebrating Mass in honor of Puerto Rican great, the late Pirates baseball player Roberto Clemente. A 48 year old man, Charles Miller, wearing a red suit with a white robe over it and a fedora walked up to the altar and sucker punched

Bishop Cruz forcing him to fall backwards on the altar due to the force. The bishop has some injuries including loose teeth. Those present were in shock as Essex Country police apprehended the man.

Please keep the bishop in your prayers as well as the attacker Charles Miller. We are Catholics and are called to forgive and pray for our enemies. May God have mercy on him.

UPDATE 1/29/17:

The bishop is doing fine despite having stitches on his lip and loosened teeth, according to reports. He celebrated Mass today. His attacker had no prior arrest record, but was charged with aggravated assault.

UPDATE 1/3017

Here is video of the attack and the image of the attacker:

UPDATE: February 2, 2017
Bishop Cruz's attacker, Charles Miller pleaded not guilty in court and claimed to be a bishop/reverend as well. He also said he was Jesus Christ and punched the bishop out of retaliation for the Catholic Church's involvement in police brutality. Miller believes that Catholic Church is responsible for black people being killed by the police. He even crushed the pope saying, "The pope is the (expletive faith, that's why I bust him in his (expletive face." Miller asked to use the Bible as evidence and even said he has psychiatric issues. The court is seeking an evaluation of Charles Miller. Here is Miller's Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013000932257

Friday, January 27, 2017

The March For Life is about to take place in a few hours. We are all excited this year. So far, in just a matter of day, President Donald J. Trump has issued several executive orders restricting. He is by far the most pro-life president the United States has had in regard to executive action. The march this year will have a special feeling. Vice President Mike Pence will be participating and President Trump will call the march. I will update this post as more news comes in, stay tuned!

UPDATE: 9:33 PM

The March For Life was awesome this year. I think there were more people in today's march than ever before. The atmosphere was just one of jubilation and fraternity. For the first time ever, a vice president of the United States spoke to the crowds gathered. Mike Pence told the crowds that life is winning and condemned Roe v Wade as going against the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States, namely, life and liberty. President Donald J. Trump called in and spoke to the crowd as well saying that they have a friend in him and that he fully supports them.

Cardinal Dolan was present and gave the opening prayer. Other leaders from different denonminations were present as well. Soonthereafter, the crowds began marching towards the Supreme Court. The majority of marchers were young and a good number were priests, religious and other religious leaders in their religious garb. There were even atheists and feminists for life marching. It is interesting to note that there were several news media outlets covering the march on ground. This is a first. In previous years, there were hardly any recognizable name-brand media outlets covering the march.

The march was started by Nellie Jane Gray in 1974 in response to Roe v Wade, the decision that made abortion on demand legal in the United States. She was a lawyer and left the profession behind in order to fight against the Roe v Wade decision. She passed away at age 88 in 2012. Nellie Gray was Catholic.

In contrast to last week's "Women's March," the March for Life was nothing but peaceful and clean. There were no displays of vulgarity, no vagina costumes, swearing or threats against the White House. The March For Life was civil and peaceful. Let us continue to pray for an end to abortion and make it possible by voting in politicians who will outlaw it. I truly believe the days of abortion and Roe v Wade are numbered.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The Grand Old Party or GOP is historically known for freeing the slaves. Well, they are once again chipping away at today's slavery which has the unborn imprisoned in the wombs of women who want to kill them.

The House has passed the Hyde Amendment which will permanently ban taxpayer money to fund abortions. The measure passed 238-183. It is a step in the right directly, but there are still flaws in it such as the exception for abortions in cases of rape or incest.

Hopefully, an amendment will be made to the Constitution which will define personhood as beginning at conception. This should close all the gaps and flaws in other laws.

Speaker Ryan released this statement:

“We are a pro-life Congress. Today we renewed our commitment to the Hyde Amendment with the passage of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. I want to thank Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) for his tireless commitment to this cause. This legislation protects the conscience of American taxpayers by ensuring that not a single dollar of their hard-earned money goes to fund abortions. As hundreds of thousands of Americans flock to Washington for the March for Life, we must never forget that defending all of our people—especially the defenseless—must be our top priority if we want to be a good and moral nation.”

As we approach the March For Life on Friday, let us pray that abortion will be abortion from our society. Hopefully, President Trump will nominate a judge who will help overturn Roe v. Wade and protect human life from conception to natural death.

American actress Mary Tyler Moore has died at the age of 80. She died from complications of diabetes and other health issues. Moore was born in Brooklyn in 1936 and worked on Happy Hotpoint commercials. However, she is known for her role as "Laura Petrie" in Dick van Dyke and The Mary Tyler Moore Show where she portrayed a single working woman. May she rest in peace.

Trump's attack against illegal immigration is possibly what got him elected. He voiced his concerns on illegal immigrants coming to the nation and bringing their rapists, criminals; taking American jobs and so on. As a solution, he vowed to build a wall and deport illegal immigrants. Well, he is fulfilling his promise. Today, President Trump signed executive orders which will pave the way for the wall on the border between Mexico and the United States. He reiterated that Mexico will pay for it. Moreover, Trump's executive pen will bring about the hiring of 5,000 more border patrol officers, give more power to ICE agents in order to arrest and deport illegal immigrants and take away federal grants from "sanctuary cities" who harbor illegal immigrants. New York, California and several other "blue state" regions are among these sanctuary cities.

Trump's actions today have ignited progressives and others who are incessant on breaking the law by allowing illegal immigration and putting them as the priority over American citizens. They have vowed to fight Trump; however, most likely they will fail. I have been a critcal voice against illegal immigration for years now after noticing how legal Americans such as Puerto Ricans have been pushed aside while illegal immigrants such as Mexicans, Dominicans and others are helped. It is not fair that people can come here illegally, work, not pay taxes and at the same time get welfare, food stamps and other amenities while American citizens suffer and truly deserve the aid to help them get back on their feet, so to speak.

In the Bronx, where I am from, one can see Mexicans, Dominicans and others buy groceries and other things by bulk at the expense of tax payers. These illegal immigrants have children like rabbits and then claim each child in order to get more benefits. It is a scam and quite frankly, sinful. Welfare and food stampes was created in order to help Americans get back on their feet, not to maintain them for life. Those who defend illegal immigration are hypocrites. I would bet a good amount of money that if someone entered a progressive's home, ate their food, watched their television and made him or herself at home would have the cops called on them by the progressive. No one would tolerate this intrusion in his or her own home. Why would we tolerate it in our nation on a grand scale?

We welcome people to our nations, but legally. Those who have visas must return to their nations before they expire. Anyone who wants to stay in America should become a citizen and enjoy the benefits of being one. This is much better than living in the shadows and not having the full protection of the law. Those who harbor illegal immigrants do a disservice to them. It is unchristian to keep someone in a situation that does not benefit him or her. Catholic bishops, religious others and other religious institutions should be ashamed of themselves for aiding and abetting illegal immigration. Hopefully, President Trump will go after these religious groups for endorsing the breaking of the law.

Cardinal Farrell even blocked me on Twitter because I gave him my opinion on this issue. He like other liberals are blind and do not think rationally nor do they respect the rule of law.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Life is a big contradiction and it is getting worse. I remember being taught in kindergarten and the grades that follow, to be polite, kind, share and care. As I grew up, the message changed. I was told to care only for myself, compete against others, be better than others etc. This is unfortunate indeed. It is no wonder why we see so much evil in this world. Well, a school president was fired for being kind. According to Brian Carroll, the former president of Vatterott College in Kansas City, he was fired for letting a student who is homeless and suffers from schizophrenia to sleep in the school's library. The student had been living nearby in a wooded area. Carroll felt pity for the student because on January 6, the weather was extremely cold with temperatures lowering to minus four degrees. The school board learned of the act of charity via cameras installed on campus and fired the president.

Carroll says he would do it again if the situation present itself and says the school board only cared about money and its properties instead of the student's life. This former president has earned a big reward from God. He did the right thing and will be blessed for it. I hope he finds better employment with people who are humane.

Monday, January 23, 2017

The Franciscans or Order of Friars Minor (OFM) which is one of the branches that broke from the original Franciscans founded by St. Francis have been in the news a lot. They have been part of the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. Robert Campagna, OFM and other Franciscan provincials have covered up and protected pederast friars. Numerous friars have been found out to have abused minors. Others have stolen millions from the order in order to live lavish lives contradicting their vow of poverty.

The order itself is dying out. They are losing members to old age and illness and not enough new members are replacing them. I think the reason is clear. This order has gone corrupt. It has abandoned Christ, St. Francis and the Catholic Church. The group existed to promote the Gospel and evangelical counsels. However, it is now a cult of social worker and activist wannabes who want to be everything to everyone while watering down the Catholic faith. Jim Goode is an example who blocked me for voicing my opinion against illegal immigration. He is known for abusing the Liturgy and making the priesthood into a display of hippie culture.

Over the weekend, one of their members, Daniel Horan, OFM tweeted his support for the pro-abortion women's march. He praised the participation Franciscan friars at the event and was present himself. He tweeted this:

The tweet brought out the wrath of faithful Catholics who found his tweet offensive and scandalous. Many took to Twitter to voice their disgust and rebuke the young friar. He immediately became defensive by calling fellow Catholics "trolls," "self-righteous," "pharisees," "demons," and a host of other uncharitable and unchristian names. Horan even tried to excuse his and his friar-friends participation by conflating it with Jesus' eating and sitting with sinners:

Remember when Jesus was harassed by the self-righteous b/c he associated w/ "sinners"? Well I get it w/ the spiteful #trolls ha #WomensMarch

"If you haven't been paying attention to the Creepy Male Feminists Punch Normal Women March--not that you can be blamed for ignoring it--note that it was an exclusively pro-infanticide event whose organizers disinvited pro-life groups.A Women's March representative specifically told pro-life activist Abby Johnson that "partnering groups must support 'reproductive rights'--which might be an even more unctuous euphemism for butchering unborn children than "choice".And if you still don't see the glaring problem with Horan's involvement in this clown funeral, let's connect some dots.Catechism of the Catholic Church #2284:Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. the person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.CCC #2271:Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law...I can't see into Daniel Horan's heart, so I don't know if the implicit approval he's giving to abortion is deliberately intended to sow confusion about the Church's consistent and unalterable teaching, or if he's invincibly ignorant about what he's done. But I do know that he has a) publicly displayed attitudes and behaviors contrary to Church doctrine in regard to b) a grave moral matter. So he IS giving scandal, and if he's doing it freely and with full knowledge, he's committing mortal sin."

Niemeier is correct. Horan is causing scandal and disregarding the Church's teaching. Think about it. Just because Jesus ate and hanged out with sinners does not mean Catholics can now march at KKK marches, Nazi marches and what not. Scripture itself says to have nothing to do with evil (Ephesians 5:11). Horan's narrow view seems to prevent him from seeing this.

People like Horan do not surprise me at all. As stated, this order has gone to hell a long time ago. They are the embodiment of contradiction and hypocrisy. The order ordains homosexuals and turns a blind eye to the Church's teachings.

I invite fellow and faithful Catholics to rebuke Horan and complain to his order. Do not provide financial aid to this heretical order. Let them die out. God will raise up a new St. Francis and perhaps start a better group.

President Donald J. Trump wasted now time going after abortion and Planned Parenthood. He signed an executive order reinstating the Mexico City policy. This policy prevents American tax dollars from being used to fund abortions overseas. The policy has been in place since Ronald Reagan's presidency and into Bush's. However, President Obama suppressed it during his tenure as president.

Radical feminists have dreaded the Trump presidency for this reason. He has vowed to defund Planned Parenthood and go after abortion like no other president has. He is waiting for a bill to fully defund Planned Parenthood in the States. Feminists believe that this will harm women citing that Planned Parenthood provides sonogram and other medical care. This may be true, but the real issue with these feminists is that they see abortion as healthcare. It is not.

Woman can get all kinds of care in hospitals and other clinics, see: http://getyourcare.org/locations/. Abortion is not healthcare. Getting an abortion will not miraculously cure a woman from a particular illness. In fact, heart disease is the number one killer of women, yet pro abortion advocates are mute on this reality and focus their attention on abortion. One can see where the priority is at, and it is not the welfare of women.

Pro abortion advocates have been whining that defunding Planned Parenthood will hurt women. This is not true. "Dr. Raegan" on Twitter tweeted a link on this which I quoted and tweeted "lies" in response. She blocked me.

Is it bad to defund Planned Parenthood? Absolutely not! This organization is a criminal organization which focuses on abortion and the perversion of our children. They get millions of dollars from tax payers which they use for abortions. The organization was founded by Margaret Sanger. Sanger was an eugenicist and racist who wanted to get rid of Black, other minorities and the disabled. She saw them as undesirable and defects in the human gene pool. Planned Parenthood even sterilized Puerto Rican women on the island of Puerto Rico. Despite this, Puerto Ricans like Lin-Manuel Miranda support the organization.

This organization has implemented sex education to kindegarteners under the presidency of Obama!

I remember kindergarten so well. My teacher Mrs. Fernandez was awesome, gentle and loving. She inspired me and encouraged learning in my life. We learned the ABC's and 123's using books and other items geared towards young children. We played with blocks and other things in order to develop our skills, reasoning etc. I cannot imagine going to kindergarten and having a teaching teach us about how to use a condom or about sex. The idea just sends goosebumps throughout me. It is nasty! This world is tough to live in. Kindergarten is one of the last times a kid gets to enjoy his or her innocence and childhood. To rob them away from this by forcing them to grow up too fast is wrong.

Look at this from their content given to kids!

This is disgusting!

Planned Parenthood definitely has to be defunded and must go out of business. It has perpetuated evil and immorality for decades. I applaud President Trump for going in the right direction.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Today's readings tell us about Christ who is the light and salvation of the world. Christ prepares us by calling us to holiness and to help others reach holiness. He calls us to be fishermen and to leave behind whatever lives we had.

In the first reading, we read of how God dispels the darkness. The people walked in darkness and have seen a great light. We read of this light on Christmas Eve. Christ is this light that shines in the land of gloom. The Lord is our light and our salvation, the responsorial Psalm tells us. Who should we be afraid of? If God is with us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? Who can defeat us? God is our refuge and our protector (Psalm 46:1). Our newly sworn-in president, Donald J. Trump mentioned this in his speech. He said God is our protector (see: www.sacerdotus.com/2017/01/president-trumps-inauguration-day.html). Trump is correct! God is our life and our salvation; our strength and protector. We should fear no one. This is why the martyrs faced all kinds of hardships because they knew God was with them and God was all that mattered. We must desire to live in the house of the Lord. This can only be done by living a life of grace, free from sin. We must be free of discord and division, as the second reading tells us. Today, we see so many divisions in the Catholic Church due to Pope Francis' take on mercy and how to present it to others. Some see it as good while others see it as borderline heresy. We must not be divided and must be of the same mind and purpose. As St Paul asks, "Is Christ divided?" It is okay to raise concerns as the cardinals who raised a dubia did. However, we must not get personal nor place judgments on others, especially our Holy Father. We must let the Holy Spirit be the one to guide the Church and clarify our hierarchy when they lose their focus, so to speak (John 16:13).

Finally, in the Gospel, we read of the arrest of John the Baptist. The prophecy we read of in the first reading is fulfilled. Jesus begins to preach. John decreased while Christ began to increase. The light is beginning to shine beyond the Jordan. Jesus sees Simon and Andrew doing their work as fishermen. He calls out to them and tells them to come after Him because He will make them fishers of men. Immediately, they left their nets and went after Him. Then Jesus saw two other brothers, James and John. Those too Christ called and they left their boat and father to follow Jesus. Here we see the ministry of Jesus flourishing and taking hold. Today's Gospel should remind us that Christ calls us as well to be fishers of men. Men here of course means all people, not just males. We must evangelize with our lives and words. Our lives must match the Gospel or evangelization will not be productive. This week, I admonished a fellow Catholic on Twitter (Maxkolbegroup). He was on my broadcast a few times and seemed interested in reaching out to atheists. However, I noticed that his account was tweeting uncharitable, vulgar and harassing tweets against atheists. I messaged him privately on it and he insisted that God told him to be rude and nasty to atheists. Needless to say, he got upset with me for correcting him on how to evangelize and insulted and blocked me on Twitter. Christ calls us to fish men, not dump poison in their waters and kill or scare them away. Unfortunately, "Maxkolbegroup" is hurting our faith by presenting atheists a negative portrayal of our religion. We must be examples, not warnings labels. We must be fishers of men in this darkness we call reality. Our world is in so much darkness. As Catholics, we must not add to that darkness. Christ is the light that dispels the darkness. We must unite to Christ and shine His light to others. May Jesus Christ be praised!

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Here are some reflections by holy writers:

The "great light" is Christ our Lord and the brightness of the gospel preaching. It is not, in fact, the law, which was likened to a lamp. For this reason a lamp always burned in the tabernacle, on account of the shortness of the law's rays, which had strength to extend their light only within the confines of the Jewish territories. Therefore the Gentiles were "in darkness," not having this lamplight.— St. Cyril of Alexandria(375 - 444)

Someone may wonder: At the Lord's beckoning, what or how much did these two fishermen, who scarcely had anything, leave behind? On this, my beloved, we should attend to one's intention rather than one's wealth.That person has left behind a lot who keeps nothing for himself, who, though he has little, gives up everything. We tend to be attached to those things we own, and those things we scarcely own, we carefully hold on to. Therefore Peter and Andrew left much behind when they left behind covetousness and the very desire to own.That person has left much behind who renounces with the thing owned the very coveting of that thing. Therefore those poor who followed Jesus left behind just as much as those less poor who did not follow him but were able to covet.So when you notice that some have left a great deal behind, you need not say to yourself, I want to imitate those who disdain this world, but sorry, I have nothing to leave behind. You will leave much behind, my brothers, if you renounce earthly desires. External things, however small they may be, are sufficient for the Lord, since he looks at the heart and not at our material goods. Nor does he judge by how much is involved in our sacrifice but from how much it is made. For if we judge by external goods, our holy merchants traded in their nets and vessels for the perpetual life of the angels.— Pope St. Gregory the Great(540 - 604)

But note both their faith and their obedience. For though they were in the midst of their work (and you know how time-consuming a chore fishing is), when they heard his command they did not delay or procrastinate. They did not say, "Let us return home, and talk things over with our family."Instead, "they left everything behind and followed," even as Elisha did when he followed Elijah. For Christ seeks this kind of obedience from us, such that we delay not even for a moment, though something absolutely most necessary should vehemently press in on us.— St. John Chrysostom(347 - 407)

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